Illuminated sign



sept 22,1931. H. K. PALMER 1,824,620

ILLUMINATED S IGN Filed Jan. 1o 1930 ETT.,

MMM

/f/S ATTORNEY.

Patented Sept. 22, 1931.

f UNH-Evi HENRY n prALMER, oFLos'ANGLEs, cAL1F`3N1A,`AssiGNoRro DAYLECTRVIQ SYSTEM g .Munn `com?Gitarren oFoALIroRNIA y y A t unmanned .iai-ary 1o,` 1.1130.Y 'sei-iai No. 4 1a7s7.

This invention relates to. signs, and more particularly to anilluminated sign whichmay be illuminated either by thesun or by Vartiv icial light. l

The generalV object of the invention lis to provide an n illuminatedl sign by means' Yof which its characters maybe shown more distinctly than is possible ywith other signs of this A more sign of the character stated, the faceiof which maybe readily seeny from Iany position from t which the face is visible. f

'Another obj ect is to provide a sign of th character stated by means of which all dark spotsor shadows. are eliminated so that the face of the sign is clearly and uniformly visible from all angles of vision.

Another object is to provide a sign of the character stated constructed with a luminous reliector for reflectinga bright light through the sign plate to cause the sign to stand out very distinctly and enable the sign to be selfV illuminating at night.

Another object is to provide a sign of the character stated in which the rear face of the sign plate is arranged to reiiect light against the reflector to increase the light reflected through the characters of the sign plate, whereby the sign is illuminated more brilliantly and the sign characters caused to stand out more distinctly, regardless of the A of the topl plate 2 being connected together by position or angle of the source of light.

Another object is to provide a sign of the f characterstated which will and dustproof. y

A further object is to provide an illuminated sign of the character stated which may be used to advantage as a street sign.

be Weatherproof Other objects and advantages will appear i particular `object is'to `providefa jpreferably frosted glass which diffuses thef' light passing therethrough. Thev reflector v3 Fig. 4 is a horizontal section of, my signi' Vtaken on line ofFig. 3. Y

Fig.' 5iis a'horizontal section of a modification of m-yinvention.

y Corresponding parts are designated bythe same reference characters in all the figures. @i

My inventionis in the form of a housing V1 which is Atriangular in cross section and is formed by atop plate 2, a reflector 3 and a sign plate all The ltop'plate'Q is translucent and is may be 'of' metal, with an inner White painted or enameled or otherwise weatherproofed reportions of the plate may be painted-white oriotherwise covered to .form a -lightreflecting surface for reiiecting any light cast thereon, upon. the reflector. The lower edge 8 of theY 'reflector `3 is formed to receive .and support S0 the face plate 4A at-itslower edgethe upperli. edge of said signy plate and the forward edge a v Weatherproof joint 9. 'The sign'` plate' 4 vordinarily extends at an angle of substantially tendegreeszto the vertical when the'` sign is'if` used as a street'sign, which from experiment. has beeniound to be thebest angle for visibill ity of thesign'from the street. Tlietopplate 2,-when1 the signfisused asa street sign, eX- 9o ften'dsgat'an angle.' of'substantia-lly five def.

grecs to the horizontal, or substantially'at right anglesV to the plate 4.

rIn operation, light Awhether natural or arftificial Vpasses 4from the outside through the translucent 'top plate 2 which.k diffuses the 1 light ibefore it strikes .the KVwhite reflector 3, f from which reflector the light-is reflected Athrough the transparent letters 7 `Vin the face plate,1whereby. said' letters are illuminated 19t' and caused to standout distinctly, any light cast upon the back of the face plate being reflected back uponthe reflector from which such light is reflected through the characters of the sign plate.

The forwardly curved endsy of the rear VWalls or reflector 3 makes it possible to miter together the ends of Avadjoining signs, so that the ends of the sign plates 2 of such adjoining signs may be tially together leave unsightly'spaces therebetween, (which brought together or' substan-` spaces Would appear if the ends of the signs Were formed straight,) thus providing Vfor neat joints between signs arranged at right angles to each other, giving such signs a neat and finished appearance, especially When placed about a lamp posty (Fig. 3) to designate the namesof intersecting streets,` and at the same time eliminating shadowswhich Would otherwise mar the appearance at the ends of the sign.. f f

Radium paint or ,other luminous substance or material may be yapplied to the surface of the reflector and/or tothe rear Y 'orinner surface of the-'opaque portions of 5 the sign plate 2, which paint on the reflector will brilliantly reflect any 4light striking the same through thetransparent'charactrs 0f the sign plate and enable the sign to be self illuminating at night, andl such ,reflected light from said paint onthe rear of the sign platewill'y strike the reflector 3 land be refiected thereby, with the main body of light on the reflector forwardly through the transparent lcharacters of the sign plate, whereby said characters Will be illuminated more brilliantly and causedhtostand out more dis- The top vplate 2 acts as a shadow-proof reflector or background When the sign is viewed from below.'

(see Figs. 3 and 4,) and not` 2. An illuminated sign comprising a casing formed with a sign plate with transparent letters, a top plate through which light may enter the casing and a reflector for refiecting the light said transparent letters, the ends of said reflector curving to the endsof said sign plate so that the ends of the sign may be mitered with the ends of other adjoining signs With the-l ends of the s'ign plates of the signs meetf ing.

Anilluminated sign comprising a casing formed With a sign plate with transparent letters, atop plate through Which light may enter the `casing and a reflector for rev reflector.

HENRY PALMER.

' In the form .of my invention'ishown in Fig.

5 the. rear vupper portionof the reflector '3 is of shorter length than the sign plate l so that the ends of the sign plate extendV beyond Athe ends ofk said upper rear portions of the refie'ctor, leaving the ends of the housing open vto receive light from outside to prevent shadows from being reflected by housing ends,

upon the lends of the sign plate.

I do not limit my invention to the exact construction and arrangement herein disclosed, because various changes maybe made therein Without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having described l. A sign as described comprising a translucent'plate through Which light is first projected and a reflector formed With a light diffusing 'surface for reflecting the light pro- -jected through said translucent plate and a signgplate through Which light is reiiected by said reiiector for illuminating the sign on said sign plate. Y

my invention claim:-

from the casing through 

